Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi (US 20220294290) and in view of Kajimoto (US 20190115801).
As to claim 1, Takahashi discloses an electric motor (Para 0072) comprising: a stator core (Para 0090); a first winding wire wound around the stator core and forming a first phase (Para 0112); a second winding wire wound around the stator core and forming a second phase different from the first phase (Para 0112); a thermistor attached to the first winding wire (Para 0140).
Takahashi fails to disclose a thermostat connected in series to the thermistor and attached to the winding wire.
Kajimoto discloses a thermostat connected in series to the thermistor and attached to the winding wire (Para 0067).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the motor of Takahashi with a thermostat connected in series to the thermistor and attached to the winding wire, as disclosed by Kajimoto, to detect overheating by actively monitoring values.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi, Kajimoto, and in view of Cai (CN 214753298) and Tahara (WO 2018021043).
As to claim 2, the combination of Takahashi and Kajimoto discloses the electric motor according to claim 1.
Takahashi fails to disclose further comprising one or more first sub-winding wires forming the first phase, wherein the first winding wire and the one or more first sub-winding wires are continuously disposed in a circumferential direction of the stator core to form a first row, and the first winding wire is disposed at a center of the first row.
Cai discloses one or more first sub-winding wires forming the first phase (“the first phase winding includes a first sub-winding L1 and a fourth sub-winding L4 that are connected to each other, and the second phase winding includes a second sub-winding L2 and a fifth sub-winding L5 that are connected to each other, and the third phase winding It includes a connected third sub-winding L3 and a sixth sub-winding L6”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the motor of Takahashi with one or more first sub-winding wires forming the first phase, as disclosed by Cai, to improve magnetic distribution.
Tahara discloses the winding wires are continuously disposed in a circumferential direction of the stator core to form a first row, and the winding wire is disposed at a center of the first row (Fig. 4).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the motor of Takahashi with the winding wires are continuously disposed in a circumferential direction of the stator core to form a first row, and the winding wire is disposed at a center of the first row, as disclosed by Tahara, to promote uniform current distribution.
The combination of Takahashi, Kajimoto, Cai, and Tahara would read on one or more first sub-winding wires forming the first phase (Cai), wherein the first winding wire and the one or more first sub-winding wires are continuously disposed in a circumferential direction of the stator core to form a first row (Cai and Tahara), and the first winding wire is disposed at a center of the first row (Cai and Tahara).
As to claim 3, the combination of Takahashi and Kajimoto discloses the electric motor according to claim 1.
Takahashi fails to disclose further comprising one or more second sub-winding wires forming the second phase, wherein the second winding wire and the one or more second sub-winding wires are continuously disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core to form a second row, and the second winding wire is disposed at a center of the second row.
Cai discloses one or more second sub-winding wires forming the second phase (“the first phase winding includes a first sub-winding L1 and a fourth sub-winding L4 that are connected to each other, and the second phase winding includes a second sub-winding L2 and a fifth sub-winding L5 that are connected to each other, and the third phase winding It includes a connected third sub-winding L3 and a sixth sub-winding L6”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the motor of Takahashi with one or more second sub-winding wires forming the second phase, as disclosed by Cai, to improve magnetic distribution.
Tahara discloses the winding wires are continuously disposed in a circumferential direction of the stator core to form a second row, and the winding wire is disposed at a center of the second row (Fig. 4).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the motor of Takahashi with the winding wires are continuously disposed in a circumferential direction of the stator core to form a second row, and the winding wire is disposed at a center of the second row, as disclosed by Tahara, to promote uniform current distribution.
The combination of Takahashi, Kajimoto, Cai, and Tahara would read on one or more second sub-winding wires forming the second phase (Cai), wherein the second winding wire and the one or more second sub-winding wires are continuously disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core to form a second row (Cai and Tahara), and the second winding wire is disposed at a center of the second row (Cai and Tahara).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi, and in view of Kajimoto and Uematsu (US 20130069579).
As to claim 4, Takahashi disclose a controller (Para 0210) comprising: a thermistor (Para 0140) wound around a stator core (Para 0090) of an electric motor and attached to a first winding wire forming a first phase (Para 0112), and a second winding wire forming a second phase different from the first phase (Para 0112).
Takahashi fails to disclose a detection unit configured to detect composite resistance, a thermostat connected in series to the thermistor; and an output unit configured to output an alarm when a value of the composite resistance detected by the detection unit becomes greater than or equal to a first reference value or less than or equal to a second reference value.
Kajimoto discloses a thermostat connected in series to the thermistor (Para 0067).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the motor of Takahashi with a thermostat connected in series to the thermistor, as disclosed by Kajimoto, to detect overheating by actively monitoring values.
Uematsu discloses a detection unit configured to detect composite resistance (Para 0041); and an output unit configured to output an alarm when a value of the composite resistance detected by the detection unit becomes greater than or equal to a first reference value or less than or equal to a second reference value (Para 0041).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the motor of Takahashi with a detection unit configured to detect composite resistance; and an output unit configured to output an alarm when a value of the composite resistance detected by the detection unit becomes greater than or equal to a first reference value or less than or equal to a second reference value, as disclosed by Uematsu, to signal whenever the motor is overheating and operating improperly.
Conclusion
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/ETHAN NGUYEN VO/
Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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